MORRISON’S MEDICARE PRIVATISATION ATTACKS CONTINUE

The Morrison Government is taking another step in its ongoing attempts to privatise Medicare – shifting services that used to be completed by Medicare workers to labour hire placements.

Medicare is the cornerstone of our universal health care system – but Morrison is outsourcing key functions to labour hire workers, with the first batch of workers starting in Hobart today.

The Liberals simply won’t stop at their attempts to privatise Medicare.

This move shows that no matter what they say, the Government can’t be trusted with Medicare. Their pledge that every Medicare service would be provided by government has already been broken:

Morrison was Treasurer when the Liberals first attempted to privatise Medicare – this is the same plan but with a different means.

Does Scott Morrison back his Secretary of the Department of Human Services, who says that after slashing jobs at the Department of Human Services (DHS) - it was just “quick and convenient” to bring in privatised labour to Medicare:

Human Services Department Secretary

Renee Leon at Senate Estimates 25 October 2018

The jobs being placed into the hands of labour hire firms could - and should - be done by in-house DHS employees.

Last year 28,000 Australians applied for jobs in DHS.

Yet their hopes to obtain secure work to deliver quality service to the public were brushed aside.

That’s because the Morrison government wanted to make a quick and convenient decision to bring in privatised labour.

And in the process it has quickly and conveniently broken a pledge to the Australian people to keep Medicare public.

We know the Liberals won’t stop at their attempts to privatise Medicare. In contrast, a Shorten Labor Government will invest in new positions within DHS and will fight to keep Medicare public.